Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasts, and so on. Such networks, which are usually multiple access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources. One example of such a network is the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). The UTRAN is the radio access network (RAN) defined as a part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a third generation (3G) mobile phone technology supported by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, research and development continue to advance the UMTS technologies not only to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband access, but to advance and enhance the user experience with mobile communications.
Generally, a transmitter or receiver in a battery-powered wireless communication device may be powered-on to facilitate communication, such as a circuit-switched voice call. However, powering-on a transmitter or receiver can have a detrimental impact on battery-life in battery-powered application environments. Modifications to conventional communication techniques are needed in order to reduce power consumption. For example, if a reduction in terms of the time it takes to transmit data can be achieved, then a transmitter and/or receiver can be powered-down when not in use.